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Selectmen approve Playhouse lease to Scene 1 New Canaan LLC and authorize emergency repairs after January flood
Summary
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved a commercial lease for the Playhouse at 93 Elm Street with Scene 1 New Canaan LLC, and separately authorized emergency repairs after a Jan. 21 water intrusion; town staff said insurance coverage is being pursued and repair costs are authorized pending settlement.
The New Canaan Board of Selectmen on Feb. 10 unanimously approved a commercial lease for the Playhouse at 93 Elm Street with Scene 1 New Canaan LLC and later authorized emergency repairs after a Jan. 21 water intrusion that damaged HVAC and interior finishes.
Scene 1 owner Joe (identified in the meeting as the principal of Scene 1 Entertainment LLC) told the board he plans to operate the theater with the upstairs hospitality space open to the public, offer first-run and independent films and partner with a hospitality group to manage the pub and upstairs amenities. "My goal is to make sure that it is a centerpiece of town," Joe said during the presentation. Board members praised his decades of theater management experience and supported the lease as a way to reactivate the Playhouse and bring patrons back to downtown New Canaan.
Separately, Public Works staff described a Jan. 21 incident in which an air-handler coil in the Playhouse attic failed, causing rapid water infiltration. Staff reported vendors and emergency responders dried and stabilized the building within hours and that a replacement coil was procured. The town requested and the board approved emergency repairs for the Playhouse in the amount of $23,608.90 plus a 10% contingency of $2,360.89, for a total of $25,969.79. Public Works said the failure appears consistent with a factory defect and that the town's insurance carrier (Hartford Boiler, per staff discussion) indicated the loss is likely covered; the town carries a $25,000 deductible.
Town officials said they will pursue insurance reimbursements and adjust accounting accordingly. "We cleaned it up so fast, and we dried it for seven days," Public Works staff said; staff also outlined follow-up work (additional controls, alarm updates and possible secondary valves) to reduce future risk. The board approved both the lease and the emergency repair authorization by unanimous votes.
The board did not set a public opening date for the Playhouse; Scene 1 indicated it plans to reopen the theater with a full cleaning and programming lineup.
